Command to Convert Text to Polylines

[y_chang]

Is there really no single command to convert a line of text into polylines? I just want to create a machinable model for our CNC and feel like I'm missing something. Cant explode, won't import from PDF and every article refers to "Express Tools" which I don't have and cannot install due to the package my version of AutoCAD shipped with. Blows my mind if this is not a single command that I'm missing. 

[user181]

What version of autocad do you have? Is it LT version?  The command is TXTEXP

[Patchy]

Or FLATTEN, and use YES

[Kent1Cooper]

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@user181 wrote:

....  The command is TXTEXP

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... and that is an Express Tool, which they don't have.

[Kent1Cooper]

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@Patchy wrote:

Or FLATTEN, and use YES

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You may not like the results of that for TTF fonts:

[user181]

Thanks, that's why I asked what version since it installs automatically except in LT.  

[Kent1Cooper]

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@user181 wrote:

Thanks, that's why I asked what version since it installs automatically except in LT.  

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I wasn't sure whether "...cannot install [Express Tools] due to the package my version of AutoCAD shipped with..." meant they were using LT or there's something else going on.

@y_chang , if you're using LT, the reason it's cheaper is because it does not have all the capabilities of full AutoCAD.  This is an example.  If you're not, can you say anything more about "the package [your] version of AutoCAD shipped with"?  Maybe there's a way to get the Express Tools into it [not that I know what that would be], or maybe there's some other AutoLisp or other tool out there somewhere that can do it.

[y_chang]

I believe I'm using a normal/full version of AutoCAD 2020 (or 2019?) but it's basically a host to the modelling software I use (Microvellum) so it's not quite the same as a standalone version of AutoCAD. Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it's not LT as I've tried looking for commands shown in help articles for LT and never found them. 

Currently, I've found a way to export from Illustrator but it's taking a lot of effort to clean up the lines. At least I have lines in AutoCAD now so I can use them as a template to create polylines. 

The FLATTEN command does not work. 

[Patchy]

There are a few, google and get one.

try app store:

https://apps.autodesk.com/ACD/en/Detail/Index?id=8457123391253334561&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

[pendean]

In LT (and AutoCAD) you can... https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-lt/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Explo...

[y_chang]

The font I'm using is TT so this doesn't work. I'll do some looking and see if there are alternative fonts. 

[y_chang]

Installed that and "TTCONV" isn't recognized as a command. 

[y_chang]

Just searched for and found a similar font in DXF format and I think that's going to work. Thanks for all the suggestions. 

[rajilesh.av]

Auto CAD 2025

[cadffm]

Still the same in 2025

[autoid374ceb4990]

y_chang:

Just searched for and found a similar font in DXF format and I think that's going to work. Thanks for all the suggestions. 

Could you post a link to the the DXF font or post the file here?

[LoFraserCAD]

Just curious, is there a way to reverse this and make a flattened text become regular text again?

I doubt there is, but that'd be cool if you could.

Haha, just tell me if I'm way off target!

[cadffm]

Hi,

this us a very hard job. For single line fonts, try PDFSHXTEXT

[LoFraserCAD]

Sweet, I'll be having a bit of a play with that.

Cool that there is a way!

Thanks 👍